Global Humanitarianism | Research Academy

The international Global Humanitarianism | Research Academy(GHRA) offers research training to advanced PhD candidates and early postdocs. It combines academic sessions at the Imperial and Global History Centre at the University of Exeter and the Leibniz Institute of European History in Mainz with archival sessions at the Archives of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva. The Research Academy addresses early career researchers who are working in the related fields of humanitarianism, international humanitarian law, peace and conflict studies as well as human rights covering the period from the 18th to the 20th century. It supports scholarship on the ideas and practices of humanitarianism in the context of international, imperial and global history thus advancing our understanding of global governance in humanitarian crises of the present.

The academic session at Exeter and Mainz is each year followed by a one week archival session at Geneva. Here the archives of the ICRC offer a unique insight into humanitarian action during the past 150 years. The holdings provide rich material, including visual material, for the history of international affairs in the ages of nation states, empires and global governance, particularly the study of humanitarianism, humanitarian law, conflicts studies as well as related issues such as human rights. Under the guidance of the experienced staff from the archive, the members of the Research Academy will study primary sources related to the previous discussions at Exeter as well as to their own research projects if applicable. Opportunities will also be provided for intensive discussions with active members of the ICRC staff and other Geneva based humanitarian organisations.

Academy Leaders: Fabian Klose (Leibniz Institute of European History Mainz), Johannes Paulmann (Leibniz Institute of European History Mainz), Andrew Thompson (University of Exeter), in co-operation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (Geneva) and with support by the German Historical Institute London